RBI Purpose Code by Profession: Which Code Applies to Your Work?

The short answer

Your RBI purpose code by profession depends on what you actually deliver, not your job title. Most service exporters fall into a handful of codes:

•       Software developers: P0802
•       SaaS and off-site software exports: P0807
•       Management consultants: P1006
•       Accountants and auditors: P1005 (tax advisory work: P1015)
•       Lawyers: P1004
•       Engineers: P1014
•       Writers, editors and copywriters: P1017
•       Video editors: P1101
•       Work that fits nowhere else: P1099

The full lookup table is below, followed by a section for each profession.

Key takeaways

• Codes starting with P are for money coming in. Codes starting with S are for money going out. Don’t mix them up.
• Pick by the service on your invoice, not by your title. A “consultant” writing code is a software exporter.
• Watch out for old lists. An older version of the code list still circulates online, and several codes mean different things in it.
• The catch-all is P1099, not P1019. In the current list, P1019 means commission agent services.
• When in doubt, ask your bank. Your AD bank’s list is the one that counts for your payment.

What is a purpose code? (in plain terms)

A purpose code is a short code that tells RBI why foreign money entered India. Every inward payment carries one. Your AD bank (Authorised Dealer bank, the bank that handles your foreign exchange receipts) reports it to RBI, and it appears on the FIRA (Foreign Inward Remittance Advice, the proof your bank or payment provider issues for each foreign payment).

Codes come in two families. P codes cover inward money; S codes cover outward money. The numbers don’t always line up between the two, especially in the business services group, so never copy an S code onto an inward payment.

Why it matters: the purpose code is how your payment is classified. When it matches the service on your invoice, your FIRA, your export records and your tax records all tell the same story. When it doesn’t, you can end up answering questions from your bank or your CA about why they disagree.

Purpose code lookup table: find your profession

Find the row closest to the work you invoice. The “don’t confuse with” column lists the neighbouring codes people most often pick by mistake.

Software developers: P0802

Use P0802 (“software consultancy/implementation”) if you build, customise or implement software for a foreign client: web and app development, custom integrations, IT consulting, DevOps work billed as a project.

Don’t confuse with:

• P0807 (off-site software exports), which fits software products delivered and used remotely, such as SaaS. More on this below.
• P0804 (repair and maintenance of computers and software), which can fit a pure maintenance or bug-fix retainer. If your contract is mostly support, ask your bank which it prefers.
• P0803 (database and data processing charges), which is for data processing work, not software development.

Note the wording: P0802 covers work “other than those covered in SOFTEX form”. Companies that report software exports through the formal software export declaration route may be steered to P0807 instead, so check with your bank if that applies to you.

SaaS companies and off-site software exports: P0807

Use P0807 (“off-site software exports”) when the software is delivered from India and used remotely by the client: SaaS subscriptions, licensed software products, software exported online.

Don’t confuse with:

• P0802, which is for custom software work done for a specific client. If you sell a product and also do paid implementation, the two can sit under different codes.
• P0806, which reads “other information services” and sounds like it might fit online products. It actually covers subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals.

SaaS is where banks differ most in practice. Some report subscription receipts under P0807, others under P0802. Agree the code with your AD bank once and use it consistently.

Management consultants: P1006

Use P1006 (“business and management consultancy and public relations services”) for strategy, operations, management advisory and PR work.

Don’t confuse with:

• P0802, if your “consulting” is really IT or software consulting. Technical advice on software belongs with software.
• P1016 (market research and public opinion polling), if the deliverable is research, surveys or polling rather than advice.

SEO and digital marketing: P1007

There is no code that says “SEO” or “digital marketing”. The closest fit for most marketing work is P1007 (“advertising, trade fair service”), which covers advertising and promotion.

Don’t confuse with:

• P1016 (market research and public opinion polling), if your deliverable is mainly research, audits or competitor analysis.
• P1006, if the work is really PR or brand advisory.
• P0802, if the bulk of the invoice is building or developing the website itself.

Because there’s no exact match, this is a judgement call. Pick the code closest to what the invoice actually describes and confirm it with your bank.

Chartered accountants: P1005 or P1015

In the current list, accounting and tax advice sit under two separate codes:

• P1005 (“accounting, auditing, book keeping services”) for bookkeeping, audits and accounts preparation.
• P1015 (“tax consulting services”) for tax advisory and help filing returns.

Older versions of the list combined these into one code, which is why you’ll still see P1005 described as covering tax consulting. If you do both for a client, use the code that matches the main service on that invoice.

Also don’t confuse with P1006, which is business advisory rather than accounting.

Engineers: P1014

Use P1014 (“engineering services”) for engineering design, consulting and technical engineering work.

Don’t confuse with:

• P1009, which is now “architectural services” only. Older lists described it as architectural, engineering and other technical services together.
• P1022 (“other technical services including scientific/space services”) for technical work that isn’t engineering as such.
• P0802 or P0801, if you’re a software or hardware engineer. Those belong with IT, not engineering services.

Lawyers: P1004

Use P1004 (“legal services”) for legal advice, drafting, documentation and representation.

Don’t confuse with P1015 (tax consulting) if your work is purely tax advisory, or P1006 if it’s general business advice rather than legal work.

Editors: P1017 for publishing, P1101 for video

“Editor” covers two very different jobs, and each has its own code.

Writing, editing and publishing: P1017

Use P1017 (“publishing and printing services”) if you write, edit, copywrite or publish. It’s the closest fit for authors, writers, editors and copywriters.

• Don’t confuse with P0902, which covers receipts for licensing originals such as manuscripts. That’s for royalties on work you own, not fees for editing someone else’s.
• Don’t confuse with P1099, the catch-all, which you shouldn’t need if P1017 fits.

Video editing and production: P1101

Use P1101 (“audio-visual and related services”) for video editing, production and post-production work.

• Don’t confuse with P1103 (radio and television production, distribution and transmission), which is for broadcast work.
• Don’t confuse with P0902, which is for licensing produced films rather than editing them.
• P1007 may fit better if the video is part of an advertising campaign you’re running for the client.

Designers and anything else: P1099

Some professions, design included, have no dedicated code. For these, the catch-all is P1099 (“other services not included elsewhere”).

Two traps here:

• P1019 is not the catch-all any more. In the current list it means commission agent services. Old lists used P1019 as “other services”, and that version still circulates.
• P0806 is not a design code. It’s sometimes suggested for creative work, but it covers newspaper and periodical subscriptions.

If your design work is part of an ad campaign, P1007 may fit. If it’s part of a software build, it can follow the software under P0802.

Goods exporters: the P01 codes

Physical goods use their own group of codes, separate from services. The right one depends on how the payment arrives:

• P0102: realisation of goods export bills sent on collection, at full invoice value.
• P0101: export bills negotiated, purchased or discounted by the bank.
• P0103: advance received before shipping, against an export contract.

Goods exports have their own documentation and bank processes, so your bank usually guides the code based on how the bill was handled.

Doing more than one kind of work?

Many freelancers and agencies do mixed work: a developer who also designs, a CA who also advises on tax, an agency that builds sites and runs ads. Three questions help:

• What does the invoice describe? The code should match the main service billed on that invoice.
• Can you split it? If one client buys two clearly different services, separate invoices can carry separate codes.
• Are you consistent? Use the same code for the same kind of work every time, so your records line up.

And one more: if you’re an employee of a foreign company receiving a salary, that’s not a service export at all. Salary has its own code (P1401, compensation of employees).

Common purpose code mistakes

• Using an old list. Several codes changed meaning between versions: engineering moved to P1014, tax consulting to P1015, and the catch-all to P1099.
• Choosing by title, not by work. A “consultant” who writes code is doing software work.
• Using an S code for money coming in. S codes are for outward payments.
• Defaulting to the catch-all. P1099 is for work that genuinely fits nowhere else, not a shortcut.
• Changing codes for the same work. Inconsistency is what makes records hard to reconcile.